


Izuku Midoriya: Sorcerer Supreme

by Lordxana0



Category: Doctor Strange (Comics), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Action, Adventure, F/M, Magical izuku, crossovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-10-02
Packaged: 2019-06-17 08:34:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15457419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lordxana0/pseuds/Lordxana0
Summary: Second chapter hype! In all seriousness major thanks to all of those who have reviewed the story so far, knowing that people like to story enough to take the extra effort to send in messages fills my heart with joy. And I suppose now would be a good time to answer a few pressing questions!An overarching one was 'will there be other Marvel characters in this story'? The answer is...kinda? Most of the heroes from the 616 universe we know and love aren't really around anymore due to a certain ability that All for One has that I won't spoil here. That being said there are some familiar faces that kind of exist in a grey zone as far as the multiverse goes so keep an eye out.Oh right and Marvel Multiverse. Honestly I'm not fully sure how Convergence ended as trying to follow modern crisis events is beyond difficult. But I prefer the 'a world per possibility' style that the old days had going for them.As before big thanks to my beta reader Phantomhill for putting up with my frankly awful understanding of basic writing rules. And a big thanks to those who have been dropping a favorite and follow on the fic. If you want to see more make sure to leave reviews to let me know how you guys are enjoying everything. Till next time, Excelsior and Plus Ultra!





	1. Chapter 1

A figure stood on the moon overlooking the Earth. It couldn’t be described as human, through its shape was close enough to it. The body of the creature was pitch black, filled with dots of glowing light that seemed equal in intensity to the stars behind it. 

The only defining features on what could be called its head were two large burning orbs that were vaguely shaped like eyes, and a thin strip of white that seemed to be pointed in the shape of a frown. 

“Five thousand D-Nomu destroyed, all of my various cohorts reduced to ruin. This has been a terrible week.” The beings voice was odd, seemingly reverberating on itself, as if a hundred people with the same voice all yelled down a cave at once. The starlight filled creature turned its head to the man behind him, the twin white orbs that made up the creatures ‘eyes’ narrowing in obvious annoyance. “And of course, there is you.”

Said figure was an older man, with black hair tinted in places by stripes of white, giving a rather dignified look to him.. He wore a number of strange regalia including a red flowing cape and a eye like amulet around his neck. But most striking was the gauntlet over his right fist, seemingly perfectly fitted for just him and with six glowing stones placed within it. 

“Your reign of madness ends now. I shall return you from whatever dark corner of reality spawned you.” the caped man proclaimed, his voice booming despite the vacuum of space around them. 

The figure let out an odd laugh, its voice a low affair that seemed to shift in tone and pitch with each movement. “Well, you would be far from the first to try.”  It raised its hand and tilted its odd head to the left. 

“Very well. You face Doctor Stephen Strange, master of the mystic arts and protector of this world.” Strange lifted the arm covered by the gauntlet as the six stones lit up bright enough to illuminate even the darkness of space. 

“Oh are we doing names, I love doing names.” The figure was almost giddy at the prospect as space began to warp in front of his outstretched hand. “You may call me All for One.”

And the two figures, each wielding powers beyond the scope of human perception, clashed against one another in an explosion of light and sound that rivaled even the creation of the universe.

* * *

 

The world changed one fateful night, when the world was lit by six colorful explosions that could be seen from every point on the planet at the same time. Mere hours afterward a child was born in Qing Quig, China. Thus began the Age of Quirks, or rather, the beginning of one of the darkest ages of mankind. More and more beings born with superhuman abilities began to crop up throughout the world, seemingly chosen at random and with gifts that varied from the mundane to nearly impossibly strong. 

Humanity reacted to this new development with fear, and society turned on itself, pausing progress for nearly eighty years as more and more children were born with superpowers, slowly overtaking those born without quirks. 

However soon a new age began, the Age of Heroes. Superhumans who vowed to protect the ideas of justice and freedom from those who would abuse their powers to bring ruin to a peaceful world. Standing above all heroes past or present was one man, the shining beacon whose presence became a pillar for the entire world, All Might. 

Yet this is not his story. No. Rather, this is a tale about an odd young man who would one day become the world's greatest hero. 

Izuku Midoriya had always been a strange child. From even the moment of his birth, one could say. When he was first taken into the nurse's arms he was silent. Only the beating of his heart gave any indication that he was alive. It took hours until his first cry, and it had only seemed to have happened because a  nurse picked him up. 

The nurse would later be found to have been stealing medicine from the hospital to supply a ring of villains who were attempted to remake the Trigger drug. 

It had been assumed as he grew up that Izuku was displaying the onset of a strange quirk, as he only seemed to cry or become especially animated around people who held intense negative or positive emotions. Despite this he grew rather normally, hitting the right weight at the right time, growing, and saying his first words around them time it was expected he would. Even his dream as a child was normal, to become a hero.  To the outside observer Izuku was a normal child with an odd quirk.

However, the truth was a bit stranger, though the only person who knew about anything strange happening was his mother, who was all too happy to simply write off any oddities as childish mischief.

After all, it was normal for a kid to talk to imaginary friends, or move things from one spot to another, or hit the remote to the exact channel when a Hero he enjoyed was on. Animals being attracted to him was also easy to write off as he seemed to take care of them.

And yet that sense of normalcy in the face of the unknown changed due to a doctor's visit, where a professional had told them there was simply no way that Izuku could have a quirk. Even specialists brought in due to the circumstances claimed the same. 

The confusion this injected into the heart of the family was immense. Inko Midoriya could only watch as the hope burned away from her son’s soul, asking desperately if he could be a hero. All she could do was cry and hold him, cursing her own weakness. 

She didn’t notice for a moment the lights flickering, or the sorrowful howl of the local strays. 

* * *

Being declared as quirkless in a world of superpowers was near the same as being born without arms or legs. Anyone who knew always carried some amount of pity in their hearts. As children saw adults leaving Izuku to his own devices they chose to do the same, until there were few people in the elementary school who could even remember the young boy. 

Despite this, he gravitated to another boy named Katsuki Bakugou, following him and his group despite jokes made at Izuku’s expense, or the occasional too hard play punch thrown at his arm. 

To Izuku, Bakugou was like a bright flame, his passion and drive made him a person impossible for someone with Izuku’s disposition to not want to follow. 

Until one day, Bakugou had pulled his friends into a place they weren’t supposed to be, and while playing he fell. He was unharmed and more bothered by having his clothing soaked then having actually taken a fall. It was on pure reflex that Izuku ran down to offer a hand to the other boy. 

A hand offered in help was a shot to the boy’s pride, and when he slapped it away a feeling that Izuku had never previously encountered shot through his body. 

Hate. 

Bakugou hated him. 

Hated that he was being offered help. 

Hated that it was a weak, pathetic, insect like Deku that was trying to offer to help. 

Just from a single touch all of this information flooded into Izuku’s mind, the look of concern replaced by horror. If given more time Bakugou might have responded and told him off, instead Izuku turned and ran, out of the park, out to the sidewalks. 

Izuku ran, because it was the only thing that he could do at the moment, wishing desperately for the voices to stop. It didn’t  matter how tightly he held his hands against his ears he could hear the resounding thoughts and feelings of his closest and only ‘friend’. And it only seemed to get worse: as he ran he could feel the thoughts of those around him. This in and of itself was odd, as normally contact was needed for him to feel others emotions, but now they flowed freely into his mind. 

He felt the judgmental thoughts of those who saw him, of those wondering why he was alone, all of their thoughts and words connected and screamed until his mind was filled with static. Even his vision became unclear, his legs giving out as he tripped over someone's foot. All he could do was curl into a ball and whisper, “please stop,” again and again as the feelings of those around him burned ever deeper into him. 

Then a hand came down and rested on his shoulder and the world was quiet again. Izuku’s eyes opened and looked up at the stranger through the tears in his ears. The man seemed old, his hair was black but with a number of grey spots running throughout it, and from his facial features it was obvious he was a foreigner. Yet still he had a smile that was calming and now that the voices were gone he could make out the words being spoken by the man. 

“By the Ageless Vishanti guide this young man's soul to peace and ebb the flowing mana within him.” The man’s words were spoken with a kind of strength that Izuku had never encountered before in his life, and it seemed that the static that had been building in his mind ceased. “Interesting, and I had thought that this world was utterly without those with a deeper connection to the mysteries of the mystical arts.” He spoke in flawless Japanese, but the way his lips moved didn’t seem to match the words that Izuku heard. 

The young boy didn’t quite understand what the older man was talking about, but he tried his tears on the back of his arm and pulled himself up on shaky legs, almost falling if not for the intervention of the man. 

“Hm, it seems the drain on you was quite substantial.” the old man smiled kindly. “Do you live far from here, little one?” 

“I’m not supposed to talk to strangers,” the young Izuku said in a somewhat dazed tone of voice. 

“Indeed prudent life advice. We shall remain on the streets and should I attempt anything uncouth...bad… you may call out and I am sure a hero would be along to investigate post haste.” Despite Izuku being a child the man’s words were respectful. 

“That makes sense. If you were a bad guy a hero would definitely come and stop you…” Izuku nodded, though if it was just to himself or the man in front of him it was hard to say. “My name is Izuku Midoriya. What's yours?”

“Stephen Strange. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” With that, the two followed Izuku’s directions back to the apartment complex where he and his mother lived and opened the door. 

“Izuku, is that you? I thought you were spending time with your…” Izuku’s mother turned the corner and froze at the sight of a full grown man standing behind her young son, a thousand different thoughts running through her mind. 

“Pardon my intrusion. I found your son on the streets having suffered from a certain… shall we say, ‘episode’, and felt it my duty to see him home, at the very least.” Strange reached into his coat and pulled out a glossy business card, offering it to the Izuku’s mother. On the front it showed: ‘Dr. Stephen Strange, medical consultant.’ 

“Oh my.” She ran over and wrapped her child in a tight embrace before looking up, eyes filled with gratitude towards Strange. “Thank you so much for seeing my son home safely. But you said he suffered a-”

Strange’s expression turned dour for a moment, but quickly shifted to his usual smile. “It might be better to discuss this over a cup of tea. I’m afraid that the explanation for all this might be a bit much, Ms.-” 

“Inko Midoriya, and off course, please come in.” Once the Strange was inside she went toward the kitchen, opening the fridge with her quirk, and pulling out a juice box for Izuku who began to happily drink while she began preparations for tea. “So please doctor tell me more about what happened.”

“I cannot speak for the condition that he was in before I arrived, but he was curled up on the ground and appeared to be covering his ears and in a great deal of pain.” 

“Oh, Izuku,” Inko placed down a cup of warm tea in front of the doctor and took her own seat, looking at her son with eyes full of concern. 

“I take it that this isn’t the first time this has happened?” Strange looked down at the cup of tea in front of him and took it in both hands, and when she saw them Inko gasped. 

“Your hands,” she said. Inko looked at the horribly broken fingers on the man's hand, bent and twisted at strange angles along the joints, their movements painfully stiff. She could only imagine what could do so much damage to a person’s body.  

“Hm?” He took a sip of his tea and looked down toward his hands. “Oh yes, the result of a horrible car accident many years ago. They ache when the weather changes and don’t move quite so well as they once did, but I feel no pain from them.” He placed the tea cup down and smiled. “A wonderful cup, did you create the blend yourself?”

Inko’s eyes snapped away from Strange’s hands and focused back on his face with a light blush, feeling a bit ashamed for gawking at what was no doubt a sore subject for the man. “Yes, I’m surprised you were able to tell.”

“When one travels in such circles as I have the subtle flavors tend to speak the loudest. But we can speak of tea later. For now, let us return to the subject of your son.”

Inko gave a nodded and looked down at her own cup. “Izuku tends to have...spells of unrest that can last for hours. Sometimes he sees things, or starts hearing voices. It always seems to go away by itself, but recently…” she felt tears spring to her eyes at her own helplessness. There was no worse feeling then having to look at her son living through such pain and being able to do nothing about it. 

“I see.” Strange looked at the young boy with a quizzical expression. “Might I see the tea leaves you used for the brew?” Before Inko could question it, Strange raised a hand. “Please, humor me.”

Despite the question held on the tip of her tongue, Inko stood and walked over to the sealed containers where she kept her tea blends. 

“No, the ones that were used, please. If you could put them on a plate for me as well. I would myself but such subtle tasks are difficult for me.” Strange smiled and waited for her to drain the rest of the tea and place the used leaves on the plate. Once offered to him he looked toward Izuku. “Young man, if you would please come over.”

Izuku looked up from his juice box and walked over to the older man and was motioned to look into the wet leaves on the plate. An odd expression came over Izuku’s face and suddenly his eyes began to move as if looking at something only he could see until his face exploded into a bright smile. “All-Might is on T.V.!” He rushed to the living room with the excited speed only a child could muster and turned the device on, hitting in the keys to the exact channel showing coverage of the symbol of peace in battle with some villain. 

For her part, Inko looked gravely confused but Strange could only smile as he pushed the plate further onto the table. “It is rare for one as young as him to develop such strong abilities so early. In fact, I had thought that in this whole world I was the only one in anyway connected to the mystic arts.”

“The mystic arts? You mean magic?” Her expression became doubtful for a moment.

“It goes by many names, but yes, magic is a good blanket term.” Strange closed his eyes and laid his palm out as flat as he could against the table. Above his hand balls of white light appeared, spinning and dancing through the room. At the same time the faucet in the sink started and the used cups and kettle lifted themselves into the air and landed softly in the sink. The final thing to happen was that Strange’s body lifted itself out of the chair, hovering a few feet in the air. 

Then all at once he landed back in the chair with a pained grunt, the white lights disappeared as he hit the wooden surface. “Not the most impressive display, but I am afraid that I am nowhere near as powerful as I was back in my hayday.”

“That was...did you use a quirk?” Despite saying the words on reflex some part of her knew that he hadn’t. There had been a certain energy that ran through the building when he had begun his display, something she had felt when holding her son against her body during his fits. 

Strange shook his head and used a napkin provided to him to carefully dab the sweat from his forehead. “It can be quite a bit to take in. I understand your hesitation to believe in the mystical. However, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that your son is gifted with a great affinity for magic.” 

“So you are saying that the fits Izuku has are caused by magic?” It made sense in its own little way. After all, no doctor she had visited had ever given her a reason for the fits, even those with quirks that aided in the identification of diseases could not find anything wrong with her son other than being born without a quirk. 

Strange mulled over how to respond for a moment. “Yes, and no. Magic is a force, an energy that flows throughout the world quite naturally. Through either discipline or the proper tools a mage can harness that power to perform deeds beyond understanding. However, your son’s natural affinity is for opening gateways that he is too young to understand how to close himself off from. If I had to guess, his mind is picking up the thoughts and feelings of those around him; he is a powerful empath on a level rarely seen.”

It was obvious just from her facial expression that most of what Strange had said sailed over her head, but she understood the basic concepts well enough. “Is there a way to stop this from hurting him?”

“Through proper training and understanding of his abilities I have no doubt that he would be able to gain a firm hold of his natural abilities and prevent such incidents from occurring again.”

A spark of an idea appeared in Inko’s mind and she sat quietly for a moment. “This… magic. If he learned to harness it then it wouldn’t be dissimilar from a quirk.” 

The doctor thought for a moment before giving a noncommittal shrug to that. “I suppose it would be within the same vein, a special ability honed and practiced. Though anyone with a connection to the magical realm could perform similar deeds to any other so I suppose it wouldn’t be as wholly unique as the genetic mutations most have.” 

Inko took a deep breath and forced back the tears in her eyes. “If he were trained would he be strong?” it wasn’t quite the word she was looking for, but she was grasping so tightly to this one thing that her word choice didn’t feel like it mattered. 

“Extremely so. I have seen such natural talent in only a select few. if properly trained he could even come to exceed my own skills. And during my time I have...or, rather, had faced quite a few foes who could have been best described as terrifying.”

“Could he become a hero, if he learned all of this?” A few tears ran down her face despite her attempts at keeping herself together. “There is nothing more Izuku wants then to be a hero and rescue people, but neither his father’s nor my own quirk came down to him. I want to give him the life that he wants, but I can’t even give him the tools to pursue what he wants the most in life.” She stood and bowed to Strange. “Please, Dr. Strange, please teach my Izuku.”

Strange sat for a moment in silence, his face unreadable before standing up and placing a gentle hand on the woman's shoulder and offering a handkerchief in one of his broken hands. Once she had a chance to right herself he took his place on the other end of the table and drew in a deep breath. “I can teach Izuku how to harness his powers, how to perform deeds of such greatness that he will always be remembered. But I’m sorry: it is not within my power to make him a hero.”

His mind drifted to old friends and allies, of the greatest heroes and the most humble. In a few scant moments he remembered the terrors he had once faced, and even when confronted by such evil how he had found strength in those alongside him. 

“Would you please call him in.” His voice was low and seemed to convey an age beyond his physical appearance.

Inko looked at the doctor and nodded. “Izuku, pause the T.V. and come in here please.”

From the other room Izuku entered with a bright smile on his face. “Mom it was so cool, All Might totally blew away a ton of bad guys in a minute flat!” He swung his arms out in front of him as if blowing away invisible enemies before noticing the mood between the two adults. “Am I in trouble?” Izuku’s young mind came to the first thought it could summon. 

“No, but if you wouldn’t mind I would like to ask you a few questions, young man,” Strange turned to Izuku from his seat, eyes fogged over with memories despite his attempts to focus. 

Izuku smiled at the knowledge that he wouldn’t be getting yelled at and nodded. “I don’t mind.”

“Your mother tells me that you want to be a hero. Why exactly is that?”

Izuku’s face lit up. It was rare that he got to talk about his dream, so having a chance with the nice man who had helped him out was a rare treat. “Because I want to be like All Might!”

Strange’s expression didn’t change in the least. “And what does that mean, to be ‘like All Might’?” 

“I...I don’t understand.” Izuku was honestly confused by the doctors words. 

“What is it about All Might that makes you want to be a hero. Is it because he seems happy? Is it popularity? Simple strength? What part of being a hero makes you want so desperately to be one?”

That question threw Izuku for a loop and his young mind couldn’t quite grasp an answer that he could be happy with. Everyone wanted to be All Might--wanted to be a hero like him. But now that he was asked he couldn’t quite think of a reason. Of course he wanted to help people, but that seemed almost too small. “I…” he looked down, frustrated at himself. 

Strange waited a few moment before sighing to himself under his breath. He was about to say that Izuku could return to the living room before being preempted by the answer to his question.

“It’s because someone has to.” Izuku looked up at the doctor with eyes filled with an odd sort of determination. “All Might is the strongest, coolest, and best there is and that means he could do anything. But he is a hero who saves people. One time when he was being interviewed he was asked about why he became a hero, and he said ‘because someone had to protect people, so it might as well be me’. So…” Izuku  drew in a breath and stood to the full height. “I want to be a hero, because if someone has to do it, I want it to be me.”

 

In that moment Strange found himself frozen by that childish declaration, seeing that there was no dishonesty in Izuku’s eyes but a fire burning within them, one that he recognized from the many examples in his life. In those eyes he saw a man gifted with great strength who bore the world on his shoulders because it was his responsibility. He saw a man who walked a path toward the future, willing to put his life on the line to ensure a brighter tomorrow. And, most of all, he saw a man out of his time with a will so unshakeable that if he stood before a wave it would shatter against him like glass.

“I see.” Strange smiled to himself and looked toward Izuku. “I believe we have a great deal of work ahead of us.”

* * *

 

**Thanks to everyone who has read through the first chapter, I hope you guys are ready because this is going to be a wild ride. Before anything else big thanks to Phantomhill for editing this.**

**As with all my stories make sure to comment to make your voices heard, and follow for more fun in this...strange crossover.**


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn't long before Strange had to excuse himself from the household, but not before recasting the charm to keep Izuku's empathic abilities from utterly dominating his mind. From what he had told Inko and Izuku, while the chances of such a devastating episode were rare, he wasn't willing to take risks with his new apprentice's life. In addition, Strange provided an address for the two so they could be acquainted with Izuku's training regime and the area where the doctor lived.

"Before I go, I feel the need to offer a suggestion to both of you," Strange said and turned to look at both mother and son with a solemn expression. "Don't let discussion of the mystic arts leave the walls of your house." His expression seemed to change to a soft smile. "In my experience, when confronted by the unknown, most people either believe you are insane, or shun that which they can't understand. However, that decision is yours to make." And with that, Strange exited the house, closing the door softly behind him.

Inko collapsed back into her chair and drew in a long breath once the doctor was gone, having not realized just how nerve wracking the experience had been. Had it not been for the numerous strange events surrounding her son she might not have believed in anything as outlandish as magic.

"Oh man, I wonder what kind of powers I will get!" Izuku was the exact opposite of his mother. while he didn't quite understand the larger picture, he was still of the age where if someone of authority told him that he had magic, he would believe them when presented with the bare minimum amount of proof. "I bet I could make myself as strong as Kaach-"

All at once the energy building inside of the young boy seemed to die off at the mention of the childish nickname for the one person he had assumed was his friend. Even with his abilities held under the charm the memory of the hate that had burned in Bakugou's heart had left its mark on him.

Despite her exhaustion Inko was ever the mother and picked up on the sudden shift in mood almost immediately. "Did something happen today?" She knew of course something had. Strange himself had said that such an episode would have never have triggered without some sort of outside influence.

Izuku frowned and looked away. Part of him didn't want to say anything bad about the person he had thought was his friend, but another equally large part wanted to reach out to his mother for comfort. "I was playing in the woods with some-" he suddenly realized that he didn't really know anyone in the group other than Bakugou. He couldn't call them friends, and at this point he couldn't really call Bakugou that either. "-classmates, and one of them fell. I touched his hand and..." A shudder ran through him.

Inko wanted to say something about playing where he wasn't supposed too, but it was obvious that wasn't really the issue at the moment. "Izuku honey, you can talk to me. you know that, right?"

Izuku looked at his mom for a moment and ran over to hug her, the pent up stress that he had been doing his best to hide exploding out. He told his mother about the feelings he had received, about the harsh nickname handed down to him, how Bakugou talked to him in what he had thought before was just friendly teasing.

By the time he had finally calmed Inko's blood was ice. she had no idea how she had missed such things happening, but she vowed that she would rectify the mistake. "Don't worry baby, I'll take care of it," she kissed the top of Izuku's head. "Go and wash up. I think you deserve a special treat today."

Izuku smiled and rubbed at his eyes before walking off to the bathroom, and Inko entered the kitchen and began to gather together ingredients for katsudon while also bringing out her phone and dialing a number, waiting patiently for an answer. "Is this Mitsuki Bakugou?" She waited for a reply and smiled. "Wonderful, my name is Inko Midoriya, our sons know each other. I was wondering if you had a moment to talk."

Somewhere far from the Midoriya household a boy with an explosive quirk and equally explosive temper got an earful of fury from a mother whose own temper was double that..

* * *

Finally the end of the week came and Inko and Izuku found themselves in front of the address that had been labeled on Strange's business card, and what they saw was less than what they had imagined. The neighborhood was nice enough, fairly suburban but not the most upkept area, but the house that the card had lead them to was of particular note because of just how badly it had been maintained.

The lawn was a patchwork of long growing weeds and potholes, the paint on the house had been long overdue for a touch up; it looked like someone had pulled a classic example of what a hovel would look like and pasted it down among the slightly worn but still presentable houses near it.

"Do I have the right address?" Inko looked down at the card and then her phone, trying to wrap her mind around how someone who had seemed so refined lived in such a horrible home.

"Trust not what you see with your eyes," Both mother and son jumped and turned to find Strange behind them, holding a bag of groceries and a thin smile. "As a first lesson it should suffice."

With that said Strange walked past them and pulled a large iron key from his pocket, placing it right on the threshold of sidewalk and lawn and turned it to the side.

And before their eyes the world shifted, reality turning on its head as the home began to lift and fold itself down and a new building took its place. Rather than a worn hovel the building that took its place was a large western-style mansion that stood at least three stories tall, but the size seemed to shift so it was hard to even gleam that amount, as if it was settling in reality. Even its width would suggest it would encroach on the buildings on its sides, but through whatever strange magics worked on it the building still managed to stand and neither of the buildings to its side were affected.

Even looking at the strange sight gave Inko the beginning of a headache, but for his part, Izuku was fascinated, running forward to touch the air where Strange had put the key.

"Wow. did you put up some kind of cloaking field around it, or do you teleport it in?" Despite being young Izuku had put a surprising amount of time into learning about odd things. after all, when one's dream was to be a hero, being educated in multiple fields was expected.

Strange chuckled at the boy's eagerness and shook his head. "Nothing as simple as that, both this building and the other exist at the same time, in the same space. Even now while you two see my Sanctum Sanctorum, the other building remains in place. Both existing within the same moment. The key I hold simply allows me to enter the space that holds it."

Izuku blinked and tilted his head. "Like a pocket dimension?"

Strange paused for a moment, considering his pupil-to-be and gave another half smile. "Yes, an apt description."

Inko coughed into her hand and walked forward to the edge of the sidewalk. "Is it safe for us to walk in?" Seeing such a brazen display of power performed so simply had thrown her off balance, but she was ever the kind to follow the flow instead of fighting against it.

"Oh yes, how rude of me to become so wrapped up in this that I would forget my basic manners, it has been quite some time since I had guests." He walked forward and waved for them to follow, opening the door and waving them inside.

Much like the outside of the mansion, the design of the inside was very western in its sensibilities, a number of interesting baubles and paintings on display. The amount of wealth held in just the foyer of the building was enough to make Inko suddenly self conscious about what Strange must have thought of their tiny apartment.

"I welcome you both to my home, if you would please follow me to the kitchen, I believe we can start there and tour the house as we discuss Izuku's future training," Strange spoke in a low but quick tone and the grocery bags lifted themselves into the air floated away from him, as if carried by a pair of invisible arms.

Izuku and Inko paused for a moment, unsure how to proceed due to the strange environment. Normally it was respectful to remove one's shoes before entering much further past the door, but given their host's western home and sensibilities they simply followed suit after him despite the strange environment.

It wasn't a long walk to the kitchen, which, in contrast to the more old fashion design of the foyer and outside of the building, was stocked with a number of modern amenities, all top of the line and cleaned to perfection.

Strange led them to his dining table and sat with them, waving his hand vaguely toward a teapot atop his stove causing it to light an begin warming the water contained within. "I am afraid that my selection of tea is mostly medical blends, nothing as delicious as yours, but it rests easy on the stomach."

"Oh it's-that's no issue." Inko sputtered, almost embarrassed that he would demote his own tea to her own blends. "This is a beautiful home that you have, Dr. Strange."

"I thank you for the compliment, but the Sanctum is only mine by trade. I suppose you could call it a 'work benefit'. Though, I do have to provide the more modern details myself." Strange clapped and the kettle rose off the stove along with three tea cups and two small bowls of sugar and honey. The kettle poured itself into their cups before floating back to the stove.

"Thank you." Inko and Izuku both lowered their heads in respect and took a sip of the tea, which was intensely bitter, but soothed the nerves. Izuku added a spoon of sugar to his, while Inko simply left it as it was. "So, then, what does Izuku have to expect for training?"

"Straight to the point: a respectible quality," Strange smiled and took a sip of his own tea, letting himself savour the bitterness of the drink before setting it down. "To begin with, I will keep his schedule open, focusing only on building a foundation for future learning with a focus on control and discipline. I would like to wait at least another four years before studying anything more advanced than that, but beyond that point I would be teaching a… I suppose you could call it a full spectrum of talents. Divination, enchantment, evocation, conjuration, and so on and so forth. As I had stated during our first meeting, I believe that Izuku has a natural born talent for the mystic arts, so focusing on one area would be a waste of that useful talent."

Despite not knowing what the words meant, Izuku couldn't help but beam at Strange's compliments. He had been so used to people just saying 'well, he is quirkless, so there is no point' that someone saying that he had potential was enough to make his day.

Inko smiled and turned to Strange, her expression dipping for a moment. "I assume you will take every precaution to ensure that he is safe?"

Strange hesitated for a brief time before giving a nod. "I will never put your son as undue risk, Ms. Midoriya. That being said, the mystic arts are capricious forces, and those who learn them always follow some risk. But I would stake my very being on the protection of another."

That seemed to put her at ease. "Thank you, doctor. Now I may I ask, are you using a spell to translate your words?" He seemed a bit surprised so Inko hurriedly continued. "I noticed that when you speak your mouth doesn't quite match your words, it's a close thing but it's difficult not to notice."

"I see that your son's eye for detail is inherited rather than a byproduct of his own talent," Strange stood up and motioned for them to follow, the cups and kettle floating themselves into the sink to be washed later. "As I am sure you have already noticed, I was not born here. I suppose you could call me an immigrate to Japan, though it is a great deal more complicated than that."

Strange snapped his fingers at the door leading back to the main hall and the door opened itself to a completely different room. Inside was a long hallway lit by natural light from an entirely glass ceiling, which illuminated rows of statues and paintings of various men and women, all in brightly colored costumes and striking poses. "Izuku, you are quite the fan of heroes if I remember correctly. Do any of the statues in this room seem familiar to you?"

Izuku frowned and stepped forward, looking at the various statues and trying to find one that looked familiar. Despite still being young Izuku had a fair grasp on heroes from around the world, afterall, it was difficult to not hear about even those from across the sea when you were a big enough fan. But he couldn't recognize any of them.

Some of the images certainly bore a resemblance to other heroes, but there had been thousands of heroes throughout the years, so that was a given. Finally he shook his head. "No, are they all from across the sea?"

Strange smiled sadly and looked over the collected statues. "In a way you are right, but it's a deal more complicated than that." Another snap and the three were in another room, this one containing a number of odd looking artifacts, including a large glass case, a red cape and an eye like amulet that were seemingly suspended in the air. At the very top of the room was a glass window in the same design as the eye amulet.

The view outside of the window, however, was not the sky, but rather a collection of white lights on a black background. "For each possibility there exists another existing alongside it, both diverging like twin streams of a river." Strange opened his arms and the window seemed to zoom in on one of the lights until Earth rested comfortably within the view of the mirror. And then, with a final movement, the window showed Japan, their view zooming down and revealing massive monsters the size of skyscrapers roaming it, snapping and fighting each other.

"Earth-100-M. a world where giant monsters evolved instead of man," Strange waved his hand and another Japan took place on the screen, this time an advanced city whose buildings seemed to pierce the sky itself. "Earth-3842, a world where technology advanced at a mind boggling rate." another wave revealed a world where people and dinosaurs lived together. "Earth-500-J. I could continue, but I assume you both understand the point."

Inko looked at the window for a moment, her mind wanting to call doubt on the sheer lunacy of the situation. But at the same time, Strange had displayed acts of power that couldn't be explained and had gone out of his way to be honest. If he had decided to lie to them, she somehow doubted it would be something so unbelievable. "So you came here from… another Earth?"

"That's so cool!" Izuku cried, looking up at the window with awe in his eyes. He didn't doubt for a second the doctor's words, after all, he was a wizard, so why should the fact he came from another world be strange?"

"Indeed, Earth 616." Strange raised his hand for a moment, but hesitated and slowly lowered it. "My home reality was a place of great heroes and terrible villains. The statues you saw - they were under my protection after some villain attacked the museum that held them. A great many of them were people I would count as friends."

Izuku looked up at Strange, even without full access to his empathic power it was easy to see that the man was in pain, so he stepped forward a bit. "What happened?"

Strange looked at his student-to-be, a deep sadness in his eyes. "Our world came under attack by a being of indescribable power, with an army of monsters at his call whose strength rivaled even the strongest of our number. We fought, and by a miracle we won." His hands tightened to fists. "I confronted the leader of the monsters with the greatest weapon that we could muster, and I forced him to flee, but not before…" he looked down, not able to meet their eyes. "Not before he stole everything. I chased him into this reality and stuck him down with all of the power I had. My weapon was destroyed in the process, but I ensured that he would never harm another world."

Neither Inko or Izuku knew how to react to that, it was a story too awful to merely say 'I am so sorry for your loss'. It was simply too difficult to even put it into thoughts, losing one's entire world and the people on it.

So instead of saying something, Izuku walked up the steps and hugged Strange's leg, surprising both his mother and Strange.

For his part, Strange could only smile and put a hand atop his head. 'With the heart inside of this boy, he will make a fine hero' were the thoughts in Strange's mind.

"Thank you," he spoke lightly and motioned for Izuku to return to his mother's side. "However, I have learned many times over that appearances can be deceiving, so I immigrated to this world, bringing my Sanctum with me to stand vigilant so if the creature ever rose again, I would be ready."

"Thank you, for sharing this with us," Inko gave a small bow to Strange. It must have been difficult to drag all of that up, but he had proven beyond a doubt that he would be honest with them. Trusting them with a secret so large was more than she would have asked for.

Izuku looked between the two adults, not quite understanding but still trying to be attentive. "So… can I learn how to speak any language too?"

And with a simple question from a child the tension of the situation was shattered, with Inko trying to hold back a laugh and Strange simply shaking his head with a smile. "That and more," he said, his eyes twinkling. "That and more."

* * *

From that day on Izuku's training with Strange began. Before they had left, the doctor presented both Inko and Izuku with keys that, when inserted into another door, would make it a pathway to the Sanctum, ensuring that only the two of them would be able to use the key and making them promise to do it only in secret.

However the training was not quite what Izuku had expected. Monday through Friday Izuku would go to Strange's home and do homework he had left over from school with help given from Strange, who was surprisingly knowledgeable and, beyond all else, patient with his young student.

"Did you have any other students?" Izuku had asked him one day, wondering just where he had picked up such a talent.

"No, but a great many of my allies had children, and one must learn to be patient with little ones whose tantrums can rip holes in reality." his master had answered.

After that was done the two would enter a large room set up a bit like a dojo, with a number of wooden training weapons and various exercise equipment kept to the sides of a large padded floor.

There, Strange had begun to teach Izuku basic martial arts, focusing on muscle control and precise movement and breathing. From what the doctor had told him this was an important step in eventually learning magic -one had to have a certain mastery over both body and mind before they delved any deeper. Those exercises continued for about an hour and they would finish the day with a variety of activities designed to make Izuku more comfortable with himself. Practicing speaking quickly with tongue twisters, going over old legends and trying to guess which ones were real (it turned out that is was most of them), and, rarely, testing the bounds of Izuku's Empathy.

The last one was especially dangerous, so they mostly kept it small. To this end Strange had adopted a white mix breed cat he had named Clea, apparently named after someone who had once been very special to him. Izuku would spend the remaining time attempting to feel out the cat's emotions, which were quite complicated for an animal but a great deal less straining then a human's. Within his first year Izuku had easily picked up the spots Clea enjoyed having scratched and rubbed and was able to predict her wanting to leave easily.

Beyond his after school training, life didn't change much for Izuku-He still attended school where he was mostly forgotten about by those around him. Ever since the creek incident, Bakugou had cut him a wide berth, which was mutually agreed upon by both children. While Izuku couldn't bring himself to say that he hated the other boy, he couldn't bring himself to be around him for anything more than class.

The teachers seemed impressed, at least when it came to his grades, but all the same they continued to give Izuku the exact treatment as before.

It would be another four years of this routine, and though both Inko and Strange worried about Izuku's lack of a social life, neither complained about his dedication to learning magic.

Things finally changed on his tenth birthday, a small affair in the Midoriya household with only Izuku, Inko, and Strange. They enjoyed a good meal together and drank tea as Izuku opened gifts from relatives and cards sent by his classmates out of obligation. A few new All Might toys put a smile on his face, but it was the final gift from Strange that excited him: An odd eye shaped amulet that hummed with mystical energy. When Izuku took it in his hands he felt a wave of static run through him, but found he couldn't let it go.

Strange kept a careful eye on his student as he held the object. "What you hold is the Eye of Agamotto, one of the most powerful and ancient of the relics that can be safely used, and only meant to be held by the Sorcerer Supreme. However that was on my world, and while it maintains a great deal of power, it no longer grants me its power. So I pass it into your hands now, as a sign that the time has come."

Izuku looked at his master, holding the Eye to his chest. "The time for what, sensei?"

Strange gave a half smile. "For you to learn magic, from this point forward I take you as a full apprentice, Izuku Midoriya."

Izuku smiled widely and stood up to give a bow toward Strange. "I'll do my best!"

* * *

Far away from that happy scene and deep underground rested a laboratory that had been built and hidden under a skyscraper owned by NEXT Limited, a massive business empire with hands in everything from cell phones to hero outfits. It wasn't a stretch to say that the corporation was one of the most powerful corporate entities in all of Japan. However, only a select few knew about what certain floors of the building were used for, and only a handful of those knew about the secret lab hidden deep underground.

The elevator dinged as it arrived at the underground lab, and out from it stepped two people, one a man whose body seemed to be composed of a black mist that swayed to the air currents blasted out by the A.C. within the room, the other a teenage boy tapping away at a handheld system and cursing his luck.

"What are we doing here, Kurogiri?" the teen spat, his voice filled with venom but also containing a small tremor, as if just being in this place put him on edge.

Kurogiri looked at the boy, wanting to admonish him but knowing there would be no point. So, instead, he simply sighed and flicked on a light switch, revealing the room. "It's because this is a very special day, Tomura Shigaraki."

The room was barren except for its center, in which five large tanks each contained an odd creature. The skin of the creature was jet black, and they all seemed to have their brains exposed-Not as if the top of their skulls had been removed, but rather as if they had simply evolved to look that way. Multiple tubes were plugged into their bodies, and one attached to their mouth seemed to provide oxygen. Each tank collected a red fluid from the creatures and fed it into what could only be described as a oddly designed coffin in the lab's center.

Along the coffins' front a number of lights flickered between different colors, until eventually stopping on green.

"So will he finally wake up today? Because the last five times you brought me here they were all false starts," despite saying this, Shigaraki put his device away and looked at the coffin as more and more of the lights flashed green.

And then finally, the bottom light on the coffin flashed between yellow and red before finally clicking to green. The coffin opened outward, and a figure fell from within the device only to land face first on the floor.

Every inch of the things body was covered by tightly woven bandages, giving off an almost mummy-like appearance. At first the figure could only squirm, but slowly it managed to get its bearing, pushing itself up with its arms and laughing in a strange masculine voice. "I feel like I've been asleep for ages," the thing from the coffin rasped as it pulled itself to its feet.

Kurogiri sunk into a deep bow toward the figure, placing one ethereal hand on Shigaraki's head and forcing him to do the same. "It has been too long, Master."

"Please, enough with all that, we're all friends here, aren't we?" The figure walked, or, rather, stumbled over to Shigaraki and sunk to a knee so he could look the younger man in the eyes. "It's good to see you again, have you been looked after while I slept?"

Shigaraki looked to the side, not able to meet the figure's eyes. "I've been fine, like you asked, I have been training and getting stronger." gone was the arrogant tone and venom in his voice. Now Shigaraki was almost like a young child trying to get the attention of a parent.

"Good," he ruffled the boy's hair and stood up, trying to close his fist and finding himself unable. "Ninety percent of my bones broken, the other ten either reduced to dust or fractured beyond belief. Even with all of my healing and the H-Nomu I lack even a fraction of my old strength. But a broken body is no excuse for leaving you two alone."

The figure brought its hands to its head, moving the wrappings enough to reveal its eyes, black pits dotted with star light that slowly faded away into a red. "All for One has returned for you, Shigaraki. Just like I always do." All for One stood up and began to chuckle, through it quickly broke into a loud and deranged laugh, throwing his entire body back into it as the sound echoed in the empty laboratory.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter hype! In all seriousness major thanks to all of those who have reviewed the story so far, knowing that people like to story enough to take the extra effort to send in messages fills my heart with joy. And I suppose now would be a good time to answer a few pressing questions!
> 
> An overarching one was 'will there be other Marvel characters in this story'? The answer is...kinda? Most of the heroes from the 616 universe we know and love aren't really around anymore due to a certain ability that All for One has that I won't spoil here. That being said there are some familiar faces that kind of exist in a grey zone as far as the multiverse goes so keep an eye out.
> 
> Oh right and Marvel Multiverse. Honestly I'm not fully sure how Convergence ended as trying to follow modern crisis events is beyond difficult. But I prefer the 'a world per possibility' style that the old days had going for them.
> 
> As before big thanks to my beta reader Phantomhill for putting up with my frankly awful understanding of basic writing rules. And a big thanks to those who have been dropping a favorite and follow on the fic. If you want to see more make sure to leave reviews to let me know how you guys are enjoying everything. Till next time, Excelsior and Plus Ultra!


	3. Chapter 3

The first day of training wasn’t  what Izuku had expected, as within moments of entering the Sanctum for the first time after his birthday party he was given a number of cleaning supplies and lead to the Sanctum’s library.    
  
  
Strange ran a finger along the spine of one of the books, rubbing said finger with a frown on his face. “It has been ages since someone has cleaned this place, once you finish we will begin your training proper.”    
  
  
Izuku looked at the bookshelves, slowly cranking his head back to take in the full view. The shelves themselves took up each wall of the room, reaching higher than the building itself through whatever eldritch means bent the very fabric of space within the walls of the building. A small army of dedicated and professional cleaners would look at the various walls and quickly excuse themselves for fear of a broken neck.    
  
  
Without a moment's hesitation Izuku accepted the challenge and gathered his supplies.    
  
  
On the first day he attempted to do everything normally, taking the books off one by one with as much care as possible and cleaning the wooden shelves. By the time he was halfway done on the second row of shelves around the room five hours had passed and Strange called him away to work on his homework and meditation.    
  
  
It progressed like that for  some time, Izuku would do his best to pick up where he had left the previous day, but it always burned too much time and what little remained would be focused on classwork followed by using whatever time was left to either meditate of continue his education on self-defense.    
  
  
The task did have its upsides however, Izuku had started speeding up while running around the room, had gained a good sense of his balance from lifting the various important tomes around the library, and finally built a good workout routine from climbing up and down the ladder once he hit the shelves he couldn’t reach.    
  
  
However there came a point where he just couldn’t go any faster without risking his safety. Of course that didn’t mean he would try to pace himself. Rather he began to put caution to the wind, trying to speed along his cleaning task.    
  
  
So of course, one day he fell.   
  
  
It had been a mistake born of frustration, trying to carry one to many books at once while high up enough that he should have tried to lighten his load. A slid of the foot threw off his balance and sent him falling from a great distance with no way to stop himself from hitting the hard wooden floor.    
  
  
But just as he was bracing himself for a landing he stopped a good foot above the floor, floating in place. Having noticed that he hadn’t broken his spine he opened his eyes and found that not only was he being held above the floor, but the books that had taken the fall with him were also floating safely.    
  
  
After a few seconds the odd effect disappeared and Izuku touched the ground softly along with the various books.    
  
  
“Wow that was scary,” he clutched his shirt and picked up the books, checking to make sure that none of the tomes had suffered any damage. “Sensei must have put a spell to make sure I didn’t get hurt if I fell…”   
  
  
A smile exploded across Izuku’s face as he looked toward the upper shelves, the beginnings of a plan forming in his mind.    
  
  
With greater care Izuku climbed the ladder along with a few books from his backpack, school textbooks worth a lot less then even a single rare book in the library and tossed them from his place on the ladder, watching as they fell only to stop just before hitting the ground.    
  
  
“Okay, you can do this,” Izuku took a deep breath and jumped off of the ladder, his entire body tightening as he braced for impact, only to find himself paused one more and deposited safely on the ground. “Still scary,” he shuddered and looked up, determination burning inside of him. “But not that scary.”   
  
  
With that discovery made Izuku attacked the task before him with renewed vigor, dropping a number of books after making a note of their order and then falling himself to gather cleaning supplies. It was still a difficult task, but he had managed to save himself time climbing up and down.    
  
  
And finally after another month of work he walked to the door and knocked on it waiting for just a moment before Strange walked in from another room in the Sanctum, the houses innate magic warping the space. “And how goes the work?” Strange asked, looking around at the massive bookcases.    
  
  
“Done, I dusted all of them off,” Izuku smiled in triumph despite being soaked with sweat. Even with a few months of work under his belt it was exhausting having to climb up the ladder. Falling helped but there was only so much it could do.   
  
  
“Did you now?” Strange gave a small smile, one that Izuku had come to know as ‘I know something you don’t and am being a wizard by not telling you’. The man walked over to where Izuku had originally started on the bottom shelf, took off two of the books and ran his finger along the wood, bringing it up to show a thin coating of dust. “Seems you missed a spot,” he stood up and clapped his hands, a great many of the shelves glowing a dull yellow. “A few spots.” Strange amended.    
  
  
Izuku looked at each marked spot and felt all of his accomplishment and pride turn to sand in his mouth. “But, that's impossible.”    
  
  
Strange looked at his student for a moment. “Then quit, once you find something that is ‘impossible’ you might as well just call it your limit.”    
  
  
The boy looked at his sensei for a moment, tears pricking at his eyes before giving a shake of his head and squaring his shoulders. “I won’t quit.”   
  
  
“Very well,” Strange turned and walked to the door.    
  
  
“Wait, sensei,” Strange turned as his student called out to him. “What kind of spell did you put in the room?”   
  
  
A brief look of confusion came over Strange’s face before it set itself neutral. “There are no spells in this room. It's just a library.” and with that he walked out of the room.   
  
  
  
It took longer than Izuku would have ever wanted to admit before those words finally clicked with him. If there were no spells in this room, but neither the books nor himself had been hurt by the fall, that simply left one avenue of thought.    
  
  
When someone fell they put out their arms to catch themselves, even as a kid Izuku understood that much about things. It was simply instinct, something that didn't need to be taught to someone. If you tripped you put out your arms so you didn’t fall. If you dropped something, you would try to catch it before it hit the ground.    
  
  
If he extended upon those ideas then the same arms that could catch a falling object or stop him from hitting the ground should be able to pick things up. Same use, different perspective.    
  
  
Izuku closed his eyes and thought about one of the books in front of him, but when he opened his eyes it hadn’t moved an inch. Most kids his age might have gotten frustrated by that, but Izuku had always been a different breed then most and instead his mind started churning over the facts.    
  
  
Whatever ability he had used had only activated because he was in danger. It had extended to the books because they were important enough to trigger the same thought of ‘I don’t want these to get damaged’. So in the end, instinct. All he had to do was hit the right trigger.    
  
  
So with that he closed his eyes again and did what he did best, used his brain. What would happen if he couldn’t use magic? Strange had said that once something was ‘impossible’ that is where the training stopped. And no training meant he couldn’t use the powers Strange used, couldn’t become strong enough to be a hero.    
  
  
It meant things would go back to how they were before. His mom’s sad eyes, the teachers and their pity that just bled off of them, and Bakugou. He would never save anyone, never be like All Might.    
  
  
He would be nothing but Deku.    
  
  
The pain behind that thought burned, and that burning built into a sensation like static, his mind felt it might boil over and cause his entire head to burst. The static built behind his eyes, until all thoughts became replaced by a sharp noise.    
  
  
Izuku opened his eyes and felt as if his jaw might hit the floor. At best he had meant to pick up on book, maybe just make it float a bit.    
  
  
As it was, every book in the library was floating off of the shelves, and without any further input the cleaning supplies he had used jumped to life, flying to the shelves and working with speed that put anything he could have done to shame.    
  
  
The static burned in his mind, but it provided him focus, he held that feeling to his heart until he was sure it had been completed, and then clutched that painful feeling and pushed the books back, falling to his knees and only then realizing his entire body was covered in sweat.    
  
  
He would never be Deku again.    
  
  
“Well well, an impressive display.” Strange smiled behind him, as if he had been there all along.    
  
  
Izuku took a few more deep breaths, a smile breaking over his face. “Well sensei,” he looked up. “Its clean.”   
  
  
A small twinkle burned in Strange’s eyes. “Indeed they are. Now then, let's go to the kitchen.”   
  
  
“The kitchen?” Izuku asked confused.    
  
  
“Ice cream, I think you have earned it.”   
  
  
Izuku’s smile had never been wider as he followed the other man out the door.    
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
From then on the true training began, Izuku studied books in languages he could only understand because Strange cast a spell of translation on him until he could manage himself. These things would have been above a grown man's head, and the trouble of having to cross reference so many things was a pain. But Izuku Midoriya was hungry for every scrap he found, studying and learning at a rate that Strange himself recognized from when he started.    
  
  
“So most magic is simply projecting the power of a stronger being or source. But I was able to make things float without having to call upon anything,” Izuku looked up from the time before him, barely suppressing a yawn. While the great masters of Atlantis were some of the most knowledgeable in terms of invocation they were ironically rather dry in their writings.    
  
  
Strange paused his own writings, and considered his student's question. While he knew the answer, he would have to bring it down a few steps to convey the information to Izuku. “The short answer would be, you are still using invocation, but rather than call upon a deity, magical source, or element you are calling forth power from within yourself. Tell me, have your readings come across the reason higher beings answer our spells with power?”   
  
  
Izuku paused for a moment and raised his hand, diving into the large pile of books that had built up on the desk he used to study, pulling out a dusty tome that looked as if a stiff breeze might cause it to fall to shambles. With the utmost care he opened the book and began to read the words to himself. “It is in covenant that the gods answer our prayers with miracles, so that those miracles can go on to create more prayer,” he shook his head. “But I don’t get it.”   
  
  
“Hm, it could be seen as an investment, beings on that level are empowered by things done in their names. A god of protection who grants a shield to protect a group of people will get a return of power for having themselves called upon. They supply power, and in return their power is increased by use.” he could see his apprentice was still struggling so he wrote a list of books and offered it to him. “Put a break on your divination and explore this topic until you are satisfied.”   
  
  
“Thank you sensei,” Izuku took the list and stood up, pausing at the door and closing his eyes for a moment. When he opened it the door lead directly to the library, and he quickly gathered the books and took his place at the table with a stack of books that easily went over his head.    
  
  
Strange clicked his tongue as his eyes ran over the titles. “I see a few outside of my recommendations.”   
  
  
Izuku for his part seemed a bit embarrassed. “Well sensei you tend to pick really advanced things, but it helps to have a more general purpose book to start from right?”    
  
  
“Is that so?” it seemed rather obvious now that Strange thought of it, but it had been lifetimes since the Ancient One had begun his training. “I will keep that in mind for next time, your choices will serve you well but another level of intermediate might be for the best.”   
  


* * *

  
  
Izuku let out a short breath, trying to focus on nothing and everything at the same time before finally opening his eyes out of frustration. “I feel like I am doing something wrong sensei.”   
  
  
Strange opened his eyes and looked to his student with an amused expression. “If there exists a wrong way to meditate, I must admit I haven’t found it. Just because a single road doesn’t manifest the desired results doesn’t mean that those results are impossible.   
  
  
There was little Izuku could do but sigh and relax himself from his meditative position. “Even if you say that I just kind find the ‘center’ that you are talking about. It's not like I’m not relaxed or at peace. But I don’t know what I am looking for you know?”   
  
  
“I see,” Strange stood up and began to stretch himself out. “Tell me, my student, what do you find fun?”   
  
  
Izuku paused at the odd question for a moment. “I, well learning new spells is pretty interesting, and translating a new text.”   
  
  
“Something outside of our lessons,” Strange amended.    
  
  
Izuku thought for a moment. “I guess, watching heroes fights is interesting, but I don’t know if fun is the right word…”   
  
  
“I believe the problem is clear, you are having trouble finding your center because you unbalanced. As your teacher I should have caught this sooner.” Strange had little experience with children, but even adults needed to balance their work with interests. Even Tony Stark had things he enjoyed doing outside of being Iron Man. In fact it could be said that the many ills that faced the heroes of his old world had been the fault of not taking a moment to breath.    
  
  
“What do you mean unbalanced?” Izuku blinked in confusion and tried to discern the meaning of what his teacher had said.    
  
  
“There is an old phrase, all work and no play make a dull child. While your diligence to your studies in both the mystic arts and to your normal classwork are to be commended it has been to the detriment of your greater well-being,” Strange summoned a notepad and a pen and quickly wrote something down. “In order to take the next step of your training you will need to be able to meditate and enter the astral realm. But until you find balance that will be impossible.”   
  
  
To say that Izuku was disappointed was an understatement, but at the same time he understood. Obsession was a dangerous road to walk down, many of the spell tomes he had studied spoke of those who had been consumed by their work and met untimely ends to powers they shouldn’t have ever come across. “So what should I do sensei?”   
  
  
Strange gave a half smile to his student and put a hand on his shoulder. “Go have fun.”   
  
  
“Okay,” Izuku frowned. “How do I...do that?”   
  
  
And for once, Strange had absolutely no answer for his student.    
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
It turned out that trying to ‘have fun’ was a task that was more complex than Izuku could have imagined. His school had a number of clubs and after school programs, and he gave an effort to try his hand at some of them. The sports clubs had their charm and he wasn’t bad at any of them. But they also didn’t hold any appeal to him. Kendo and Judo also seemed interesting, but everything they were learning was simply old news to Izuku.    
  
  
By the end of the first month of searching Izuku was getting desperate. It wasn’t like he couldn’t enjoy things, movies were good, video games were fun, but they didn’t seem like permanent solutions to his problems.    
  
  
“Maybe I’m just really boring,” Izuku muttered as he rested his forehead against his dining table.    
  
  
Inko looked at her son with a frown on her face, measuring out things for dinner. “Maybe you are thinking about this the wrong way dear.”   
  
  
Izuku sat up and looked at her with curious eyes.    
  
  
“Instead of trying to find something new to enjoy, why not find something to do that you already liked?” it might have been rather obvious advice, but having been young herself once Inko found that obviously solutions were always the last to arrive.    
  
  
Izuku frowned in thought and pulled out his phone, only an occasional mutter that wasn’t quite intelligible to anyone but himself.    
  
  
Inko couldn’t help but smile at this, because it meant that she had at least put her son back on the right track. While she couldn’t do anything to help him out with his magical research or training under Doctor Strange she could help with mundane things like this.    
  
  
“I want to help people!” Izuku suddenly shouted out, an excited expression on his face. He looked to his mother as if he had discovered a hidden secret laced in a mysterious code.    
  
  
“I see,” Inko turned to her son with a thoughtful expression. “So if you figured that out do you have something in mind?” he was still a boy, and as such was  limited in his pursuit of doing much of anything.    
  
  
“Well, I think I might have a place in mind,” he turned the phone in his hand to show Inko, who examined the article with a smile.    
  
  
“Yes, something like this might work out pretty well.” Inko kept the place in mind. “Lets see, why don’t we go Friday after your classes and see what we can do.”   
  
  
After all, how bad could an organization called FEAST be?   
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
Friday eventually came and Izuku and his mother caught a train to the closest local FEAST building, and both found themselves surprised to see not a ramshackle building but a modern looking building that could have passed for an amusement center.    
  
  
FEAST, from what its website and many articles written about it seemed to say, stood for Food, Emergency Aid, Shelter and Training, apparently it had started in America but had branches all across the world now. While their entry into Japan had been a difficult one, publicly due to the fact that they had an open door policy that could let villains use is as a ducking in point. But in reality the issue had been a point of national pride, as having a center open in Japan would mean having to admit that there were people fallen between the cracks of their society.    
  
  
Their solution however had been brilliant, they had All Might talk of the good that he had seen the organization do throughout America and had given the charitable organization his full endorsement free of charge. And where All Might stood others would inevitably follow. Ever since it had opened large and small shelters throughout many cities in Japan and despite publicly helping ‘those few who have fallen’ saw quite a bit of people coming both in and out.    
  
  
Many stories were the same, people who might have dreamed of becoming heroes who couldn’t make the cut and suddenly were left without any transferable skills. FEAST provided temporary shelter and classes that got people back to their feet.    
  
  
Beyond that it provided services that were simply out of the price range of some, ranging from on site clinics, daycare centers, and even trauma and crisis counselors. Normally such an organization would be too good to be true, but donations and occasional government funding kept the lights on all day and night. And beyond that those who left to lead successful careers would funnel money back in gratitude.    
  
  
To someone who wanted to help people with all he had, a place like this would make a wonderful stepping stone. Izuku smiled and walked forward confidently with his mother by his side, entering the large building and finding that the inside was just as neat and clean as the outside. A smiling man stood behind a counter and nodded to the two of them as they entered.    
  
  
“Good day, is there anything we can help you with?” his tone was pleasant and the smile he wore was utterly genuine.    
  
  
Izuku nodded at the man. “I was wondering if you guys needed any help?” his tone was excitable, for once he felt like he was on the right track.    
  
  
“I see, so you are looking the volunteer?” he looked to Inko and waited for a nod of approval from her. “Wonderful, while it just so happens we can use an extra pair of hands around here,” the man reached under the desk and pulled out a clipboard and pen, holding it out to Inko.    
  
  
“Thank you,” she took the form with a small bow and began to read it over. “So how will Izuku be able to help around here?”   
  
  
“Well because he is so young we will have him follow and help out one of our older volunteers who will help to show him the ropes, he will be under constant supervision from staff and help out with little things here or there. Once we find something that Izuku excels at we will place him there to help out when he comes around.”  the worker took back the forms and looked over them. “Normally we would have you folks come back a bit later so we could assign him a buddy, but we actually have a volunteer that could use a bit of extra help sorting things in the kitchen.”   
  
  
Izuku couldn’t have been happier, the worker might has well have said ‘we are offering a pot of gold.’ “Wow how lucky is that?”   
  
  
Inko covered a chuckle and nodded to her son. “You know, I happen to have some time off as well, I’m quite the cook if you need an extra hand in the kitchen,”   
  
  
The worker whistled at that and offered another form. “Two volunteers on the same day, we are lucky indeed.”   
  
  
Inko finished filling out the paperwork and turned it over around the same time a young man entered into the lobby. He seemed to be in his mid teens, and was  skinny in an almost unhealthy way. One could be forgiven for thinking he was one who had come to partake in the shelter and not a volunteer.    
  
  
“I still have a ton of stuff to sort through, so I hope this is important,” his tone was curt and a bit rude, but not malicious. It made him seem like a rather blunt person overall.    
  
  
The man behind the counter rolled his eyes. “I figured, which is why our new volunteer,” he paused a moment and looked at the form. “Midoriya could offer you some help.”    
  
  
The boy looked over Izuku for a moment before giving a noncommittal shrug. “Sure, why not,” he offered his hand to Izuku, strangely only giving four fingers. “My name is Tomura Shigaraki, welcome to FEAST kid.”    
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Far away in a large building that looked like it might have been owned by a powerful bank or business a man whose entire body was wreathed with dark shadows sat across from a man wrapped completely in bandages. Both held a cup of black tea in front of them but neither drank.    
  
  
“I fail to see how working at that place is beneficial for Shigaraki’s growth, master.” Kurogiri brought the cup to his lips, the shadows pulling away from his mouth as he took a drink.    
  
  
“That is why you are a small picture type person, my dear Kurogiri.” All for One took a sip of his own drink, through it was quite a deal less elegant as even lifting the cup seemed to cause his entire arm to shake, with only a small amount of liquid actually passing his lips and a greater majority of it landing on the white bandages that fully covered his body. “That one is simply too dangerous to let him do whatever he wants. A child should have chores don’t you think?”   
  
  
Kurogiri inclined his head, through he still didn’t quite understand his master had reasons of his own. “I see, he is there to ‘scout for talent’ then?”    
  
  
“Ever to the heart of it, indeed FEAST is a useful tool, plenty of people have quirks that are too dangerous to actively enter the workforce, meaning that when they fall on tough times they come to us. At such a low point anyone could be brought around.Beyond that feeding dirty money into a charity makes it easy to launder, so it acts as a nexus for all other uses.” the cup slipped from All for One’s fingers and shattered on the ground, drawing a grunt of annoyance from the man. “Fine motor controls still haven’t come back.”   
  
  
“It will be slow going sir, after all even with your healing potential most of your body is held together by pins and staples. Without the bandages you would simply fall apart.” while he was probably trying to sound encouraging Kurogiri couldn’t quite pull it off.    
  
  
“Thanks,” All for One replied blandly. “Still, there is a deeper lesson for him. These people who ‘fell into the cracks’ only did so because those cracks exist in the first place. As one who also fell I wish for him to develop empathy. Or at least learn to fake it well enough. Shigaraki will need to develop relationships in the future with those who will serve under him. It's crucial that in this stage of his development he learns how to act...human.”   
  
  
“And if he fails?” Kurogiri asked.    
  
  
“Hm, then I will simply move him to a different shelter and have him try again. A teacher needs to be their for a student you know. Killing a few people should hardly be the end of it.” he waved away the concerns as if they were so much dust. “After all…”   
  
  
“Shigaraki must grow to become a villain who takes the spotlight. That's simply the way of things.” All for One chuckled in a raspy tone, which quickly evolved into a hysterical laugh that dimmed even the very lights of the meeting room.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So quick Marvel history lesson. FEAST was an organization set up as a sort of wide reaching homeless shelter/halfway house for New York's various unfortunate homeless. However it was also the criminal front for a supervillain named Mister Negative and his gang the Inner Demons. Recently made a big splash as one of the primary villains of the new Spider Man game as well. 
> 
> Anyway to those who enjoyed make sure to drop a comment and follow along for more.


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